This Trip From Qatar to New Zealand Is Officially the Longest Flight in the World

By Nicole Yi
Courtesy of Qatar Airways
Courtesy of Qatar Airways

If you thought the red eye from LA to London was bad, imagine having to remain on board for another seven hours. We have jet lag just thinking about it. On Feb. 6, Qatar Airways broke the record for the world's longest flight from Doha, Qatar, to Auckland, New Zealand. The entire trip covered 9,032 miles, which took 17 hours and 30 minutes!

It marked the very first time a New Zealand city was served by the airline. US travelers now have more access to Auckland, since 10 destinations including Miami, Los Angeles, New York, and Houston have been added to Qatar Airway's network. A new free transit visa allows up to 96 hours in Doha for anyone interested in stopping by on their way to New Zealand. Qatar Airways plans to launch 14 more destinations in the 2017 and 2018 years, including Nice, France; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Medan, Indonesia; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

See which five routes follow in the list of longest flights in the world:

  • Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Los Angeles (LAX) — 15 hours and 50 minutes via Etihad Airways
  • Atlanta (ATL) to Johannesburg (JNB) — 16 hours via Delta Air Lines
  • San Francisco (SFO) to Singapore (SIN) — 16 hours and 20 minutes via United Airlines
  • Dallas (DFW) to Sydney (SYD) — 17 hours via Qantas
  • Auckland (AKL) to Dubai (DXB) — 17 hours and 15 minutes via Emirates